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Reports may be released
By Dana Green and
Joyletta Woodruff
Lincoln Mayor Helen Boosalis today
may release Lincoln Police Dept. (LPD)
files regarding the Arvid Sherdell Lewis
shooting case, but Lancaster County Atty.
Ron Lahners said he has not yet decided if
he will release his file on the case.
Lahners reported Tuesday morning that
he will not file criminal charges against
County Deputy Rodney Loos, who shot
Lewis.
Loos has not yet been returned to
permanent active duty, and Sheriff Merle
Karnopp said he is "not certain" when
Loos will be reinstated.
Loos was temporarily reins iaieu Mon
day because or other Sheriff Dept.
absentees.
Lahners said he will not file charges be
cause he believes Loos was acting in self
defense and in the defense of other officers.
Released statement
Lahners released a statement Tuesday
morning based on information he had re
ceived from the Nebraska State Patrol,
LPD and his own investigation (see p.8).
County Commissioner Bruce Hamilton
had criticized Lancaster County Sheriff
Merle Karnopp for not returning to
Lincoln from vacationing in Oregon when
he should have to take charge of the Lewis
case.
Karnopp said Tuesday, "I could've even
hitchhiked back to Lincoln if I thought it
was important that I bo hero.
"What the papers didn't print is that
Hamilton didr.'i know the circumstances,"
he said. Karntpp, who returned to Lincoln
Friday night, said he kept in constant con
tact with the Sheriff's Office and that he
was told there was no need for his return.
Karnopp said Loos "was only brought
in yesterday (Monday) because we were six
people short. Today (Tuesday) he's sick,"
. he said.
Karnopp 'sure'
In reference to Lahner's decision not to
file charges against Loos, Karnopp said,
"I'm sure the county attorney made a com
plete and intensive investigation on his
own, as well as of other agencies.
"I have every respect for Mr. Lahner's
judgment in his decision," Karnopp said.
"I'haven't seen the reports yet, and I've
formed no conclusions yet on my own
part."
The warrant for Lewis's arrest, attained
by the LPD, was held by Lincoln police
officers Stephen Miller, John Rallis and
deputy sheriff Loos. They were at the door
of Lewis's house when he was shot, accord
ing to newly appointed LPD Chief George
Hansen.
Lahners said in his statement that
Miller, who was standing on the east side of
the door, said he saw the hand and forearm
of Lewis. According to the statement, Loos
said that at the time he shot l-ewis, he saw
a rifle, pointed out the front door, in
Lewis's hand.
Gun position unresolved
'The investigation has been unable to
resolve the position of the gun immediately
prior to the shot," the statement read. Ac
cording to Lahners, uniformed officer
Ralli-, saw deputy sheriff Harry Stewart
handle Lewis s gun after the shooting.
Stewart reportedly told Lahners he does
not remember handling the gun.
Lahners said that when he arrived at
the Lewis residence about 15 minutes after
the shooting, Lewis's gun was standing
against the south wall about 19 inches west
of the doorway.
There were no distinguishable finger
prints on Lewis's gun to determine who
had actually handled it, he said.
Continued on p.6
archers reflect discontent
By Liz Crumley
"Is your screen door bullet-proof?"
"Am I next or will it be you?"
These placecards reflected the discon
tent of about 100 marchers, predominantly
. black, who walked to the state capitof
Tuesday afternoon to protest officials'
actions on the Sept. 24 shooting death of
Arvid Sherdell Lewis.
Lewis was shot by Lancaster County
Deputy Sheriff Rodney Loos when police
attempted to serve a search warrant at
Lewis's home, 2284 Potter St.
No criminal charges
Shortly before noon, County Atty. Ron
Lahners announced he will not file criminal
charges against Loos.
Little violence had occurred in connec
tion with the march by late evening,
according to Dean Leitner, Lincoln Police
Dept. inspector.
A few incidents of assaults and property
damage were reported, Leitner said, adding
that the incidents generally were provoked
by blacks against whites.
According to Police Chief George
Hansen, during the Tuesday afternoon
protest march three disturbances occurred
in the downtown Lincoln area.
Hansen said marchers allegedly kicked
over a shoe stand in front of a business at
. 11th and 0 Streets. One person reported
damage to his car, and a girl was slapped on
the head by a marcher's sign in front of the
city treasurer's office, Hansen said.
Received report
The chief received a report about 3:45
. pan. that 250 people were assembled in
protest around 22nd and Vine streets, he
said. About 4:30, Hansen said, he was in
formed that the crowd numbered fewer
than 100 people and was dispersing with
out trouble.
Letner said the police helicopter would
be concentrating on possible trouble-areas
Tuesday night.
"Campus police were taking no extra pre
cautionary measures, Lt. Robert Edmunds
said, other than being "a little more alert
than we normally would be."
There had been no problems on the uni
versity campus as of 10 p.m., Edmunds
said.
He added, however, that he had
contacted Sgt. Kenneth Nelson, who is in
charge of Student Security Officers for
housing units, to say that officers should
be alert and report any problems they
might have. '
Chambers marches
Figuring prominently in the Tuesday
march was Omaha Sen. Ernest Chambers,
who headed the march along with Lewis's
mother, Barbara Kelly.
Chambers stated before the march that
because Lahner's decision, any Lincoln or ,
Lancaster County law enforcement officer
can kill a citizen anytime he wants to.
"Nobody can sincerely believe that
Lahners did right," he said. "Somebody
put pressure on him-I don't know who it
is or who they are.
"Lahners is not going to tell the whole
truth-never. His own investigation proves
bungling incompetency."
"Whatever happens in Lincoln, Lahners
is totally responsible for," he said. "When
you make peaceful evolution impossible,
you make violent revolution possible."
No prediction
However, Chambers said he would not
predict whether there would be any vio
lence in Lincoln Tuesday night as a result
of Lahner's decision.
The march, planned a week ago, was
merely an opportunity to let people
express their feelings, he said.
One marcher said he was disappointed
about Lahner's decision.
'This protest more or less expressed my
anger," Reginald Farr said.
Attempt to change
' A black businessman, Ron Pigee, said
for him the march was an attempt to bring
about some type of meaningful changes in
the polio e$, regulations and procedures of
law enforcement agencies in Lincoln and
Lancaster County.
"The point is this: there could have
been some other way of handling the in
cidents involving Childers and Lewis,"
Pigee said.
Elijah Childers was shot by a Lincoln
policeman Feb. 1.
Pigee said he thought there would be
violence Tuesday night.
'There has not been social change with
out some type of militancy," he said.
Individual decision
Chambers, speaking on the State Capitol
steps, said each individual should decide
what must be done in response to Lahners'
decision.
"Don't let them (city and countv
officials) think it's over, even if that
dummy down there (Lahners) says it is. .
"You can push people only so far,"
Chambers said. Sometimes the only alter
native is to fight or die-when you're going
to die anyway."
Cries of "fight" then were heard
throughout the crowd.
Chambers cited the Symbionese Libera
tion Army to illustrate bit point.
"Whatever they decide to do, they do
it," he shouted.
A few hours after the rally, at a meeting
of about 100 people in a vacant lot at 22nd
and Vine streets, Lewis's mother said she
was "really unhappy" about developments
in the case because she thinks not all of the
information has been released.
"I don't necessarily blame him
(Lahners) for not filing charges," Barbara
Kelly said. "He's just one of the persons in
the city government."
Kelly said she will release a statement to
the press on her findings sin her son's
death.
11W I
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Stats Sen. Emte Chambers (center) led a miffch to the
Tuesday to protest ilw hawking of the investigation of
SherdeM Lewis.
c&pitol
death of
